A typical oven appliance construction provides at least one heated chamber into which food items may be placed for cooking operations. A door provides for closing the chamber to hold in heat and cooking fumes. The door can be opened to remove food items during and after cooking operations.
In order to provide a seal between the door and the body of the oven appliance, at least one gasket is positioned to close or seal off the gap between the door and the oven body when the door is in a closed position. The gasket provides a gas tight seal to help prevent the escape of heat and cooking gases. Conventional constructions for the gasket include e.g., a metal mesh surrounded by a fabric. The gasket is typically positioned on the door at a position that will surround the opening to the oven chamber when closed or may be placed directly onto the oven body around the opening. Closing of the door provides a slight compression of the gasket to further facilitate sealing.
During operation of the oven appliance, particularly during cleaning cycles or other high temperature operations, the oven door will typically expand as it is heated. With e.g., self-cleaning cycles, the door may be held in the closed position by a latch positioned at the center of the door so as to prevent opening the oven during such periods of high temperature. As the temperature of the door increases during the cycle, the door can expand causing the corners of the door to bow out or move away from the oven. If enough expansion occurs, such bowing of the door can reduce the compression of the gasket leading to a loss of heat and/or gases from the oven. In extreme cases, the door may even bow enough to create cracks or gaps between the oven and door despite the presence of the gasket.
As the gasket ages over time and experiences repeated heat cycling from use, the resiliency and compliance of the gasket may be reduced due to creep. Soiling of the gasket can also occur. These factors can also further decrease the gasket's ability to maintain a compressive seal between the door and oven body.
Accordingly, an oven gasket than can provide improved sealing between the door and oven body of an oven appliance would be useful. An oven gasket that can provide such improved sealing at even the higher temperatures of oven operation such as a cleaning cycle would also be beneficial.